Digital differences
While increased internet adoption and the rise of mobile connectivity have reduced many gaps in technology access over the past decade, for some groups digital disparities still remain
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
While increased internet adoption and the rise of mobile connectivity have reduced many gaps in technology access over the past decade, for some groups digital disparities still remain
The migration of audiences toward digital news advanced to a new level in 2011 and early 2012, the era of mobile and multidigital devices. More than three-quarters of U.S. adults own laptop or desktop computers, a number that has been stable for some years.1 Now, in addition, 44% of adults own a smartphone, and the number of tablet owners grew by about 50% since the summer of 2011, to 18% of Americans over age 18.
Cell phones are owned by large majorities of people in major countries around the world, and they are used for much more than just phone calls. In particular, texting is widespread in both wealthy nations and the developing world. Social networking is also popular in many nations around the globe.
Mary will present the Pew Internet Project’s latest data on social media participation among older American adults, including new findings about user motivations and the role of mobile devices.
55% of smartphone owners use their phones to get location-based directions or recommendations, while geosocial services and location-tagging features are less popular.
Fully 71% of online Americans use video-sharing sites such as YouTube and Vimeo. Rural internet users have caught up to others in their use of these sites, and minorities are more likely than whites to visit them.
13% of online adults use Twitter, and half of Twitter users access the service “on the go” via mobile phone.
In regions around the world – and in countries with varying levels of economic development – people who use the internet are using it for social networking. Other forms of technology are also increasingly popular: cell phone ownership and computer usage have grown significantly across the globe over the last three years, and they have risen dramatically since 2002. Consistently, these technologies are especially popular among young people.
Although still a relatively young technology, social networking is already a global phenomenon. A 22-nation survey finds that in regions around the world, people who use the internet are using it for social networking. Cell phone ownership and computer usage are also increasingly popular across the globe.
4% of online adults use a location-based service such as Foursquare or Gowalla that allows them to share their location with friends and to find others who are nearby.
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